A typical American?

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J

Jennie-Mae

Guest
#1
Oftentimes whenever I'm reading people's posts on here I catch myself thinking; oh, that person sounds like a typical American, a typical European etc etc.

What about you folks? Do y'all ever think; oh Gad'nite a livin, that person is soooo European, American, Norwegian or Indian?

Or are you just flipping through the threads with a big yawn on your face thinking "Who cares"?
 

WineRose

Senior Member
Jan 3, 2017
3,631
265
83
Row A, Column 9
#2
As a person who's nowhere close to an American, admittedly, yes...I'm guilty of that. :/
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#3
Sometimes at work when coworkers are yakking about the latest popular TV show I think "Typical Americans." Even in a small town, nobody knows about local events. The only thing we all know that we can have a conversation about is TV shows and whatever movie Marvel has spit up this season. Oh and sports, but not the local high school sports, only the big name teams.

On the forum I don't even glance at the nationality flag unless I have a hard time understanding what the person said. Then I might take nationality into account in an attempt to comprehend the background behind the post. Aside from that, you folks are all "members of that forum where I hang out."

Same with age. Usually you can tell the general age range by how a person talks, even in a text-based medium such as this. I glance at age if somebody says something remarkably profound or remarkably juvenile.

And now a question for you: Do you ever read a post and think, "Oh, a typical teenager" or "Oh, a typical old person"?
 
Y

Yahweh_is_gracious

Guest
#4
Certainly. I'm very judgmental. Nationality, Age, Gender all somehow creep in to my judgment of a person's posts. I could try harder to not be so judgmental and try harder to dispel my preconceptions of people.
 
J

Jennie-Mae

Guest
#5
Sometimes at work when coworkers are yakking about the latest popular TV show I think "Typical Americans." Even in a small town, nobody knows about local events. The only thing we all know that we can have a conversation about is TV shows and whatever movie Marvel has spit up this season. Oh and sports, but not the local high school sports, only the big name teams.

On the forum I don't even glance at the nationality flag unless I have a hard time understanding what the person said. Then I might take nationality into account in an attempt to comprehend the background behind the post. Aside from that, you folks are all "members of that forum where I hang out."

Same with age. Usually you can tell the general age range by how a person talks, even in a text-based medium such as this. I glance at age if somebody says something remarkably profound or remarkably juvenile.

And now a question for you: Do you ever read a post and think, "Oh, a typical teenager" or "Oh, a typical old person"?
Not really, but this made me remember that I'm sometimes thinking that a person is from this or that state. Why? Dunno. And I'm dead wrong most of the time.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#6
Certainly. I'm very judgmental. Nationality, Age, Gender all somehow creep in to my judgment of a person's posts. I could try harder to not be so judgmental and try harder to dispel my preconceptions of people.
Well at least you weren't taken by surprise when you saw my picture in the Unmask Yourselves! thread. I found out some people thought I was a lot younger than I am. It was terribly disillusioning when they saw my pic.
 
J

Jennie-Mae

Guest
#7
Well at least you weren't taken by surprise when you saw my picture in the Unmask Yourselves! thread. I found out some people thought I was a lot younger than I am. It was terribly disillusioning when they saw my pic.
You looked like a circuit court judge:).
 
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J

Jennie-Mae

Guest
#8
Certainly. I'm very judgmental. Nationality, Age, Gender all somehow creep in to my judgment of a person's posts. I could try harder to not be so judgmental and try harder to dispel my preconceptions of people.
Yes, I know what you mean. I'm awfully judgmental myself, even though I'm trying to hide that streak.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,001
13,008
113
58
#10
Whenever someone is society is in the wrong, yet they make themselves out to be the victim and the person they have done wrong to the bad guy, I think to myself, TYPICAL!
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#12
Oftentimes whenever I'm reading people's posts on here I catch myself thinking; oh, that person sounds like a typical American, a typical European etc etc.

What about you folks? Do y'all ever think; oh Gad'nite a livin, that person is soooo European, American, Norwegian or Indian?

Or are you just flipping through the threads with a big yawn on your face thinking "Who cares"?
I can honestly say I've never thought "oh Gad'nite a livin." I'm not even sure I'm mentally saying that phrase right. Never heard it before. lol

But I've been struck lately with "What is a typical Englishman?" With weird logical. I listened to Sting's An Englishman in New York, and then a couple of weeks later, I listened to Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Joe Cocker. I'm pretty sure neither one of them were/are "typical Englishmen." Have you noticed this site is pretty devoid of Englishmen? I mean, I can name one -- only one -- and I wonder if he is typical.

We've got Englishwomen, but are they typical?

And what, exactly is typical? Honestly, I picture a slightly younger version of the Monopoly Man, but I'm pretty sure Sting or Joe Cocker are more typical than he is. And they have everyone from London to hamlets to lake country, so exactly what is typical?

But Americans? I've got family in diverse parts of the country, plus have lived or visited other parts. And I live in Philly, but wear overalls, so, nope. Haven't really picked out a typical American. Unless, of course, she's a Philadelphian living in overalls.

I'm too busy trying to figure out Englishman! And after that? Singapore! What's a typical Singaporean?

 
D

Depleted

Guest
#13
Sometimes at work when coworkers are yakking about the latest popular TV show I think "Typical Americans." Even in a small town, nobody knows about local events. The only thing we all know that we can have a conversation about is TV shows and whatever movie Marvel has spit up this season. Oh and sports, but not the local high school sports, only the big name teams.

On the forum I don't even glance at the nationality flag unless I have a hard time understanding what the person said. Then I might take nationality into account in an attempt to comprehend the background behind the post. Aside from that, you folks are all "members of that forum where I hang out."

Same with age. Usually you can tell the general age range by how a person talks, even in a text-based medium such as this. I glance at age if somebody says something remarkably profound or remarkably juvenile.

And now a question for you: Do you ever read a post and think, "Oh, a typical teenager" or "Oh, a typical old person"?
The disadvantages of not checking out flags -- I've been picturing you living somewhere in Canada.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#14
Not really, but this made me remember that I'm sometimes thinking that a person is from this or that state. Why? Dunno. And I'm dead wrong most of the time.
Until a week ago, I had Willie living in Texas. (To the point of wondering why Tourist and JL kept going all the way to Texas so often to visit him. lol)

 

Yeraza_Bats

Senior Member
Dec 11, 2014
3,632
175
63
35
#15
Ive had those kinda thoughts with other things. Age, gender and race ect. Cant say I ever have with nationality, though. Especially when it comes to my own nation.

I feel like id take a persons home less into consideration when thinking about their personalities or whatever. Which is probly due to living in a diverse nation, I guess. Id imagine that with so many different cultures and classes, each with their own customs and junk, I could easily look past nationality when thinking about a person.

I can see how it would make sense, though. Ive been watching videos on rhe differences of Americans and Russians lately. And the two have been talking about the stereotypes and generalizations of each other, so I can see how others would : p

That makes me wonder, though. Do I qualify as a typical American?